Master Of Lies
by Shadow Padawan
Summary: Two SVU detectives find a beat up padawan in a back alley and set out on the search for his attacker. But things aren’t always what they seem.
1. Chapter 1

A late Coruscant evening found two of its detectives at one of the mid-class cantina-clubs. Returning home wouldn't be hard for ether as their apartments weren't all too far away. It was a calm evening, one that promised little incident. So the pair decided to take the short way, through the back alleys.

"So I said to her, Cassi if you wanna work for us you're gonna have to know where you come in," one of the detectives was saying.

His partner nodded and drained the small bottle in her hands. She through it into a trash pile on the side. The bottle hit the stack and all the trash came crashing down on both sides. Some bags were at the bottom of the mound along with a stained brown robe.

"Come on Lyv! Don't worry about it."

Lyv ignored him and moved toward the crumbled trash pile. She knelt down before the lump covered by the brown robe and lifted the edge of the fabric. Her hand flew instantly to her mouth. "Eden! Eden come over here!"

The other detective jogged to her side. "What you've got there, Lyv?"

"A child. Can't be older then eleven." She reached out and gently turned the boy over onto his back. The right side of his face was crusted with blood and his sandy blond hair was matted. There were bruises on his neck and his tunics were ripped in several places.

"Is he…" Eden trailed.

Lyv checked the boy's pulse and breathing. "No he's still alive. But his vital signs are weak."

:Edan reached for his commlink. "I'm calling an ambulance."

* * *

The two detectives stood as the doctor approached them with a tired gloomy look on her face. Eden and Lyv looked at each other and then returned their attention to the medic.

"Well he'll survive," she said.

"That's good news," Eden put in.

She nodded briskly. "That's about the only good news though. Someone really banged this kid up. It looks like they left him for dead. Are you the boy's parents?"

Lyv shook her head. "No. We found him. We're from the Coruscant Special Victims Unit." She flashed her badge to confirm her words. "Can we please see him?"

The doctor wrinkled her nose. "Well you know what they say, never say 'no' to a cop." With that she lead them down the corridor to one of the smaller med rooms. "We stabilized him and it looks like he doesn't even need an inhaler but still…you can see he was beat up pretty bad." She indicated the countless bacta patches on the boy's face and the bandages on his arms and chest. He was still unconscious. "I have to go now, detectives. Call me if you need anything. It's Doctor Brege by the way."

"Thanks you, Doctor Brege," Lyv said as the other woman walked out of the room. She made an inspection of the boy's injuries. "It doesn't look like he put up much of a fight. No cuts on his wrists, or lower legs, also no blood under the fingernails. Looks like he knew his attacker."

"Or maybe he was simply hit from behind," Eden suggested indicating the small lump on the boy's head.

"Unlikely. This one would have felt his attacker coming."

"Why do you think that?"

Lyv pointed at the short braid hanging from behind the boy's right ear. "He's a Jedi Padawan."

Eden sighed and rubbed his forehead. "A young padawan, Luv. Besides how much do we know about what the Jedi can and can not do?"

"We don't," she agreed. "Maybe his master will tell us though. In any case I'm coming the temple."


	2. Chapter 2

**_Kelly of the midnight dawn_**_: I love the Olivia/Elliot 'ship too!  
_ **_skywalker05_**_ Thanks for your comments!_

* * *

Twenty minutes or so after Lyv had contacted the temple the young padawan started coming around slowly. As awareness came crashing down he let out a small whimper and raised his arms to block the bright light out of his face. After a few moments he lowered his arms and gazed around the room in confusion. Lyv and Eden stepped into the boy's field of vision.

"Hi there," Lyv said sitting down by the boy's side. "What's your name?"

"Anim. What happened…?"

"We were hopping you could tell us that," Lyv said. "We found you and brought you here. I'm Detective Barin and that's Detective Sabin. Do you know who did this to you, Anim?" She gestured at the bandages on the boy's arms.

He thought for a moment, as though remembering. Then a flash of fear flickered in his eyes for a brief moment before disappearing. "I don't remember."

"Try, Anim. If you could give us any clues we could find the person who did this to you."

"I shouldn't be talking to you guys," the young padawan told her, now more brave and collected then when had firs woken up. "My master won't like me talking to you."

"Anim I'm sure your master will want to know who did this to you as well."

The padawan was about to answer when hurried footsteps were heard in the hall and a tall man in Jedi tunics, pats, and boots came into the room with Doctor Brege following close behind.

"Anim! There you are I've been so worried! Force! What happened?" The man sank down on the side of the bed next to his young charge and enveloped the boy into a gentle embrace.

The boy tensed for a moment and then nuzzled against his master's shoulder. His shoulders shook but he still fought to hold back tears. "Master, please don't hurt me! I won't do it again I promise!"

"Shhh…I'm not mad anymore, Anim/" He looked toward the doctor while still holding the boy close. "When can he be released? Or at least transferred to the Temple medical center?"

'We will have to give him a check over and then you can take him home. Though I suggest that you have him stay with the Temple healers for a few days, Master Jedi."

"Yes of course." He then turned to the detectives. "Who are you?'

"Detectives Sabin and Barin," Eden said as the duo flashed their badges "We found your padawan and brought him here. Do you have any idea who could have done this to him, Master…"

"Kenyhm. Master Kenyhm. And no I have no idea who could have done this. The Jedi have a lot of enemies, I realize that, but who would beat up a child." He shook his head sadly.

"Master Kenyhm, could you please step outside for us please? We would like to ask you a few questions while the doctor looks over your padawan."

"Yes, yes alright." The Jedi knight murmured a few words to Anim before easing the boy down into bed and following the detectives outside the med room.

"Master Kenyhm, please don't take this offensively but as a protocol question we must ask you as to your whereabouts this evening."

"Well I was actually in my quarters for most of the evening."

"Can anyone verify that?"

"I'm afraid not."

Eden nodded but Lyv cut in with another question. "Why was Anim asking you not to hurt him?"

The Jedi sighed heavily. "You see, detectives, my padawan has a tendency to go down to the lower levels to go trash hunting-"

"Trash hunting?"

"Yes…spare droid parts or something like that. He has a friend who is a rather good mechanic. They gather this junk and then play around with it in their free time. I never liked him going there especially alone. I always tell him that something like this is ought to happen. He snuck out tonight and I suppose he went down there. I suppose he feels I might be mad at him."

"Have you ever hit him as punishment?"

"Detectives, I care very much for my padawan. I think after what happened he simply sees a threat in everything."

"You said Anim snuck out. So you knew he wasn't in the Temple?"

Master Kenyhm looked taken aback but then nodded. "Yes I did."

Lyv was about to pop another question when the doctor stuck her head out and said that she was done with the check up. The Jedi excused himself quickly and left ten minutes later with Anim.

"So what did you think?" Lyv asked.

"I don't know," Eden answered slowly. "Did you notice how when ever he spoke of Anim he never called him by name? It was always 'my padawan'."

Lyv nodded.


	3. Chapter 3

The two detectives arrived to the Jedi temple early next morning. They received some puzzled stares from the padawans and carefully veiled side glances from the knights. For all their hopes they were informed at the healers wing that they would not be able to speak with Anim for he was at the moment in the bacta tank and would remain there for the rest of the day so the duo was forced to ask around blindly as the master of the boy was out on an errant for the council.

One of the knights they had come across happened to be Anim's Force Use teacher so Lyv and Eden stopped to have a more detailed interview with the knight as his students ran through the drills assigned to them.

"Master Fede'U," Lyv started after basic introductions were done with," how is Anim doing in his classes?"

"Fine actually. He is one of the better students in my class and I rarely heard complaints about him from my colleges."

"What of his peers?"

"Anim was never a very social boy as I know him. Some say he was more outgoing during his initiate years but then became more detached, so to speak. But this happiness to many padawans. Attunement to the Force and achievement of Jedi serenity often makes young ones go through a stage of self isolation. In some cases this is even encouraged. But Anim got along with everyone rather well. No one bothered him and he didn't bother anyone."

"You say that Anim was rather capable. Maybe someone acted out of jealousy?"

"Detectives," Fede'U replied with a frustrated intake of breath," we are Jedi. By the time the young ones become padawans all impulses of that nature have already been tempered. I think that you are looking in the wrong place. And besides, if someone was a malcontent they'd be settling it with the likes of Skywalker, over there. He's the Golden Boy to be. Now if you excuse me I have a class to dismiss."

Eden stepped forward. "Just one more question. Do you know of any friends Anim has?"

"Ah….as far as I can tell Skywalker and Lysk right there. You're wasting your time detectives."

The duo waited until the padawans were starting to disperse and headed toward the two padawan whom Master Fene'U had pointed out.

"Padawans Skywalker and Lysk?"

The boy and girl who had been talking in low voices turned around quickly and eyed the two strangers with keen looks. Skywalker spoke first. "Yea that's us."

"What're your names?"

Skywalker studied Lyv for a while before answering. "Anakin and this is Lexxa."

The girl, Lexxa, cut off Lyv before she could say another word. "You're the people trying to find out who beat up Anim aren't you?"

Eden nodded. "We are. Are you his friends?"

The padawans exchanged careful looks and then nodded. "What do you wanna know?" Anakin asked.

"How is Anim's relationship with his master?"

Anakin was about to say something but Lexxa cut him off. "We don't really know. He doesn't like talking about his master much," she shrugged, "They're not close or anything but not all teams are close right away." The padawan's exchanged guarded looks and Lyv had a feeling that they were trying to communicate through the Force.

"Did he get along well with everyone in his classes?"

"Anim is quite," Anakin commented, "It's really just the three of us. I mean I have a couple other friends and so does Lexxa but I don't know anyone else that Anim hangs out with. But no one bothers him if that's what you mean."

"Except Arik," Lexxa put in. "He doesn't like Anim because they both wanted the same master but Arik got Selaz instead."

Eden squatted before the pair and looked then over. She reached out and ran a hand over Lexxa's padawan braid pushing it aside briefly before pulling away. "This is nice," he remarked.

"They're the symbol for out apprenticeship," Anakin explained, almost proudly.

"I see," Eden drew out.

The door to the now empty training room swished open and a knight in dark robes strode in and scanned the scene critically. "Padawan," he addressed the girl without prelude, "I thought I told you to come straight back to our quarters when you are finished with the class."

"I'm sorry, Master," Lexxa murmured bowing her head.

"Master Jedi, we are detectives from the Coruscant Special Victims Unit. We're investigating the case of Padawan-"

Lyv was cut off by a dark reply from the knight. "You're looking n the wrong place, detectives." He then turned to look at Anakin. "Padawan Skywalker, I believe your master is waiting for you as well."

Lyv and Eden watched the trio leave in salience. "What was up with the braid?" Lyv asked after she and Eden were alone again.

"I thought I saw something behind her ear and I wanted to get a look at it."

"Did you see anything interesting?"

"Actually, yes I did. She has a burn behind her right ear. It's in the same place and is identical to the one that I saw yesterday on Anim. At first I thought it was one of his injuries and I asked Doctor Brege about it. She, however, said that the injury was a couple of days old. To my inquiry to why she hadn't bandaged it up too or why it hadn't been bandaged up at all she said that the burn was cauterized on impact."

"Cauterized? What leaves a burn but closes up the wound immediately?"

"To my knowledge: a lightsaber."


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N:** My appoligies for the terribly long wait. Whoever is still reading -- thatnk you for sticking with me!_

* * *

Lyv and Eden, who had split up for part of the day, met at the entrance to the temple to compare notes.

"What did you get on the kids' masters?" Lyv asked as she scrolled through her own notes on her datapad.

"Not much," Eden admitted. "Ser-Gay Lottos is a highly efficient knight of the Order, he's training Lexxa, and well…he likes to keep his relationship with his padawan rather private but that's not too unusual. Then Anakin is being trained by Obi-Wan Kenobi. This guy is as clean as a whistle I tell you. Always follows the Code, is always respectful toward the council, killed a Sith while only a padawan, basically the council's pet. So I don't think there's any relationship between him and the seemingly more moody Lottos. Except for a strictly formal one."

Lyv nodded. "You know I don't like the perfect ones, though."

"Also interesting how he got to train the kid. It seems Kenobi's master made him promise to train Anakin before he died."

"Has that caused problems?"

"Their relationship has been rocky but nothing we should worry about, or so they say."

Lyv nodded again. "Good info but it's not getting us anywhere. Anything on Kenyhm?"

"Yes…Kenyhm is known to be a good friend of Lottos'. They both like to keep their relationships with their padawans away from the public eye."

"What about the kids? Any complaints?"

"No actually…they tend to keep away from the subject but if pressed never say anything bad about their mentors. What did you get?"

"I got all the mission files of all the assignments that Kenyhm and Anim have done. Mostly mediations…a protecting job for a jumpy senator…here's an interesting one. They busted a terrorist group not too long ago here on Coruscant. Most members of the group were killed in the bringdown but some escaped."

"I suppose we could check that out. Kenyhm did say that the Jedi tend to accumulate enemies."

"Yes…I was also thinking about talking to one of the guards. Maybe he saw something."

The two detectives found the guard at the front of the temple near the main entrance at his usual post and after brief introductions Lyv pulled out a holo of Anim. "Did you see this padawan go out some time last night?"

The guard studied the holo for a while then nodded. "Yes of course. Around nine last night. Little Anim likes to go out at night. Looks like his master caught him this time around though."

"Why do you say that?"

"He came out about twenty or so minutes after Anim had left. Asked which way his padawan had gone."

* * *

In the shadows of the sleeping temple five knights gathered in their usual gathering place. They drew their cloaks around themselves and stood in grave silence for a moment. 

"Where's Kenobi?" Kenyhm demanded at last.

"He can't come tonight," one of the others said. "It's a good thing too. We shouldn't have gotten him involved in this in the first place. He'd never approve of this and you know it."

"Yes," another picked up. "It has gone too far this time."

"So what do we do?"

"I will speak to Sarah," Kenyhm said decidedly. "She looks exactly like Mara Shpider and she doesn't have any records orpapers on herself. Plus she knows where her sister is."

"We'll need more evidence."

"I'll make sure Anim performs."

"You better," Lottos remarked darkly. "This has gotten out of hand. We need to be more careful."

The others nodded.

Kenyhm frowned. "You don't trust me?"

"We trust you. Just make sure the kid cooperates."

"Oh…he will."


End file.
